Which game inspired Game Freak to partner with Omega Force for Pokémon Pokopia?

Dragon Quest Builders 2 helped inspire Game Freak to partner with Omega Force for Pokémon Pokopia.

Game Freak lacked experience in the sandbox genre, so the team sought a partner with relevant expertise. Omega Force was selected partly because it had previously worked on Dragon Quest Builders 2, a game centered on gathering materials, constructing settlements, and rebuilding environments.

Pokémon Pokopia is not a sequel to Dragon Quest Builders 2, and the two games belong to different franchises. The connection is developmental: experience on Dragon Quest Builders 2 helped demonstrate that Omega Force could contribute to a Pokémon sandbox project.

Pokopia combines that construction-oriented foundation with Pokémon-specific systems. Players restore a damaged world, build habitats, craft objects, and cooperate with Pokémon. Comparisons with Minecraft and Animal Crossing describe similarities in style or mechanics, but Dragon Quest Builders 2 was the specific prior experience cited in the development story.